Page 106 - UB Church and Shen Univ
P. 106
Volume 6 Relation of U.B/EUB Virginia Conferences to Shenandoah University Dec. 26, 2013
The majority of the residential buildings within the district date to the turn of the century,
ca. 1880 to 1920, at the height of the town’s prosperity. The familiar vernacular forms proved most
popular during these years, especially the I-house with some variation on a rear ell. A “T”-shaped,
three-room plan, deriving from the more irregular planning ideals, became favored as well, particularly
on High and East View streets. By applying sawn and carved trim to the front porch and the cross or
end gables, these vernacular designs responded to the eclectic styles of their day. Perhaps the most
decorative of this applied finish are the elaborate, round-arched gable screens on several Dayton houses
of the 1880s and 1890s (including the J. H. Ruebush House at 190 Mill Street and the William Click
House on High Street). This woodwork has been attributed to Johnson Burtner, a local builder, who had
his shop behind his home on High Street. Even those simpler houses without such ornate decoration still
boast some sort of gable or cornice treatment.
A small group of houses reveal a more conscious attempt to copy the Queen Anne and other
eclectic styles. The largest example is the 1906 James Ruebush House (225 Main Street), with its
turrets, wraparound porch, dormers, and multi-gabled roof. Three others display a smaller, more
cottage-sized Queen Anne design--the 1902 Professor Hoenshel House and two houses built by the
Rhodes Brothers on South Main Street (160 and 170 Main Street). Mr. Dove1 of neighboring
Bridgewater built both the Ruebush and Hoenshel houses. Other stylish houses include the Alberta
Coffman House, the two George W. Hedrick houses, and the Perry Heatwole House, all with Queen
Anne detailing, and the C. P. Funkhouser House with some Colonial Revival decoration. A few of these
irregular designs are of brick construction, breaking from the frame-construction tradition, such as the
1898 Professor J. H. Hall House and the James Ruebush House at 315 College Street, along with several
others on the north end of High Street.
The oldest church is a simple, rectangular brick block, now integrated into the northeast corner
of the Church of the Brethren. Apparently used by several denominations when first built, this church
follows the common form of 19th-century churches in the Valley. By the late 19th century, Dayton’s
churches reflected the popular Gothic Revival styles. The Methodist, Presbyterian, and U.B. churches
all display rectangular brick forms with corner towers, pierced by lancet arch windows and embellished
with other Gothic detailing. The U.B. Church was built by the Eutsler Brothers, a well-known local
contracting firm from Grottoes at the turn of the century.
Perhaps the most major change to the character of the town occurred with
the removal of Shenandoah College to Winchester. When the campus was sold in
1960, the oldest campus building at 250 College Street was torn down and several
new buildings—a duplex, an apartment building, and a Neo-Colonial house—
were built on the old campus grounds. Luckily, the three large brick college
buildings have been adaptively reused quite successfully with little major exterior
alterations, two having been remodeled into apartment houses and one into a furniture showroom.
Buildings54 on Bowman Road—(Dayton Cemetery): Town cemetery. Late 18th century to the
present. Although the oldest stone dates to 1793, there are only a few early 19th-century stones in the
cemetery. Most date to the mid-19th through the 20th century.
Buildings on College Street—#255 (Ruebush-Kieffer Co.;
Shenandoah Press): Printing company. Commercial Vernacular. Ca.
1906. Brick (stretcher bond); 2 stories plus basement; shed roof; 6-
bay facade with 2 shop fronts, each with 3 bays. ~6 The Ruebush-
Kieffer Company was one of the largest and most successful musical
54 Pictures for this section are compliments of Pete and Caroline Bateman, taken 2012.
Davis on History of S.C., 1982-2008 96
The majority of the residential buildings within the district date to the turn of the century,
ca. 1880 to 1920, at the height of the town’s prosperity. The familiar vernacular forms proved most
popular during these years, especially the I-house with some variation on a rear ell. A “T”-shaped,
three-room plan, deriving from the more irregular planning ideals, became favored as well, particularly
on High and East View streets. By applying sawn and carved trim to the front porch and the cross or
end gables, these vernacular designs responded to the eclectic styles of their day. Perhaps the most
decorative of this applied finish are the elaborate, round-arched gable screens on several Dayton houses
of the 1880s and 1890s (including the J. H. Ruebush House at 190 Mill Street and the William Click
House on High Street). This woodwork has been attributed to Johnson Burtner, a local builder, who had
his shop behind his home on High Street. Even those simpler houses without such ornate decoration still
boast some sort of gable or cornice treatment.
A small group of houses reveal a more conscious attempt to copy the Queen Anne and other
eclectic styles. The largest example is the 1906 James Ruebush House (225 Main Street), with its
turrets, wraparound porch, dormers, and multi-gabled roof. Three others display a smaller, more
cottage-sized Queen Anne design--the 1902 Professor Hoenshel House and two houses built by the
Rhodes Brothers on South Main Street (160 and 170 Main Street). Mr. Dove1 of neighboring
Bridgewater built both the Ruebush and Hoenshel houses. Other stylish houses include the Alberta
Coffman House, the two George W. Hedrick houses, and the Perry Heatwole House, all with Queen
Anne detailing, and the C. P. Funkhouser House with some Colonial Revival decoration. A few of these
irregular designs are of brick construction, breaking from the frame-construction tradition, such as the
1898 Professor J. H. Hall House and the James Ruebush House at 315 College Street, along with several
others on the north end of High Street.
The oldest church is a simple, rectangular brick block, now integrated into the northeast corner
of the Church of the Brethren. Apparently used by several denominations when first built, this church
follows the common form of 19th-century churches in the Valley. By the late 19th century, Dayton’s
churches reflected the popular Gothic Revival styles. The Methodist, Presbyterian, and U.B. churches
all display rectangular brick forms with corner towers, pierced by lancet arch windows and embellished
with other Gothic detailing. The U.B. Church was built by the Eutsler Brothers, a well-known local
contracting firm from Grottoes at the turn of the century.
Perhaps the most major change to the character of the town occurred with
the removal of Shenandoah College to Winchester. When the campus was sold in
1960, the oldest campus building at 250 College Street was torn down and several
new buildings—a duplex, an apartment building, and a Neo-Colonial house—
were built on the old campus grounds. Luckily, the three large brick college
buildings have been adaptively reused quite successfully with little major exterior
alterations, two having been remodeled into apartment houses and one into a furniture showroom.
Buildings54 on Bowman Road—(Dayton Cemetery): Town cemetery. Late 18th century to the
present. Although the oldest stone dates to 1793, there are only a few early 19th-century stones in the
cemetery. Most date to the mid-19th through the 20th century.
Buildings on College Street—#255 (Ruebush-Kieffer Co.;
Shenandoah Press): Printing company. Commercial Vernacular. Ca.
1906. Brick (stretcher bond); 2 stories plus basement; shed roof; 6-
bay facade with 2 shop fronts, each with 3 bays. ~6 The Ruebush-
Kieffer Company was one of the largest and most successful musical
54 Pictures for this section are compliments of Pete and Caroline Bateman, taken 2012.
Davis on History of S.C., 1982-2008 96
